Whether it’s coating chicken, topping pasta bake or bulking out stuffing, there’s no denying that breadcrumbs are a store cupboard essential. But can you store them for longer and can you freeze breadcrumbs with success or not?
Can You Freeze Breadcrumbs?
Yes, you can freeze breadcrumbs for up to 6 months. You can freeze plain white breadcrumbs, herby breadcrumbs and even panko breadcrumbs.
Do Do Breadcrumbs freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Breadcrumbs? No
How To Freeze Breadcrumbs
Homemade breadcrumbs are far superior to those bought in the supermarket. You’ll often find those in the supermarket ground to a fine powder and artificially orange.
Instead, knock a batch of breadcrumbs together and store them in the freezer.
- Dry and Cool: Once you have made your breadcrumbs, dry them out a little in the oven. We recommend doing this because they can become quite soggy as ice crystals are likely to form in the breadcrumbs.
- Bag Up: Once the breadcrumbs have cooled back down, tip into a freezer bag. You may want to spread them across multiple bags to make it easier to use in future.
- Seal: Seal the bags up, removing as much of the air as possible when doing so.
- Freeze: Then place those bags into the freezer.
You can dry them by turning the oven on, preheating to 150c and then turning it off. Place the breadcrumbs in the cooling oven for 30 minutes or so. This dry heat will dry them out perfectly.
How to Freeze Breadcrumbs with Herbs
Breadcrumbs spiked with parsley, garlic, chilli or basil can take your breadcrumbs to a whole new level, adding a punch of flavour with very little effort.
But can you freeze breadcrumbs that have been flavoured with herbs or spices? Well,Ā yes you can!Ā
The method you need to take is exactly the same as the one outlined above. When you add herbs or spices, you’re not adding them for colour or texture but solely for flavour.
When you freeze them, the flavour doesn’t degrade much, if at all.
3 Tips for Freezing Breadcrumbs
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing breadcrumbs to have the best results:
Freeze with Flavourings
Don’t be shy about spiking your breadcrumbs with flavourings before freezing them. A handful of chopped herbs, a spoonful of garlic granules or a pinch of dried chilli all work well.
Dry Them Out
Once thawed, breadcrumbs can be a little soft. If you want to use breadcrumbs to add texture then dry them out in the oven briefly to bring back their crispness.
Give Them a Shake
Once the bag of breadcrumbs has been in the freezer for 20 minutes, give them a quick shake before returning to the freezer. Repeat this after another 20 minutes. This can prevent them from sticking together in one clump.
How Long Can You Freeze Breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs will, fortunately, last for quite some time in the freezer. In fact, you’ll be fine to freeze them for up to 6 months before any major changes to their texture.
Beyond this point, you’ll still be able to use them for stuffing and binding but using them as a crumb will not work well at all.
Freshly made breadcrumbs will keep for around a week in the fridge. If you toast or dry them then they will keep in a sealed container for around 1 month in the cupboard.
How Do You Defrost Breadcrumbs?
The goods news is that you don’t really need to. Grab them from the freezer and leave them out on the worktop for 10 minutes or so and they’ll have already thawed enough for you to use.
This works particularly well when you’re using them in filling and stuffing.
If you want to use the breadcrumbs as a topping or a crumb then it can be a good idea to dry them out in the oven again.
Simply place them in a warm oven (heat it up then turn it off) for 30 minutes to an hour to remove some moisture. This can help get a crispy coating on your food even after freezing them.
Can You Refreeze Breadcrumbs?
Although breadcrumbs freeze well, refreezing them is not something we would recommend.
Unfortunately, refreezing them can ruin the texture. The only exception to this is if you have frozen breadcrumbs, used them in another dish such as a pasta bake or breaded chicken and then want to freeze this cooked dish.Ā
Do Breadcrumbs Freeze Well?
Generally, breadcrumbs freeze pretty well.
It does come down to how you’re going to use the breadcrumbs. If you want to serve them to top pasta or want to crumb a piece of chicken then it might not be the best approach to take.
When freezing breadcrumbs, they will lose some of their texture, so can be a bit soft, which is not what you want when looking to add a crispy texture to a dish.
If, however, you’re using the breadcrumbs for stuffing or for binding meatballs then freezing is the perfect way to store them for the longer term.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs in general, then these may help:
The packaging will explain whether or not they can be frozen, as it will depend on the process they have already been through. Having said that, in most cases, breadcrumbs from the supermarket will be suitable for freezing.
Panko breadcrumbs have a unique, crispy texture that you often don’t get from standard breadcrumbs. You can freeze them but you do need to be aware that the texture of the breadcrumbs is likely to change once they are thawed and they may not retain that recognisable crispness.
Sources
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